Chemistry – Chemical reactions - Redox | e-Consult

Oxidation can also be defined as an increase in the oxidation number of an atom or molecule. The oxidation number is a hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds were completely ionic. When an atom undergoes oxidation, its oxidation number becomes more positive. This happens when an atom loses electrons, as each lost electron increases the positive charge associated with the atom. Therefore, an increase in oxidation number is a direct consequence of the loss of electrons during oxidation.